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Sonus, Taqua Partner on Voice Over WiFi Deployment

The service provides mobile operators with a path to commercial rollout of WiFi Calling services, also known as voice over WiFi (VoWiFi).

Taqua, a supplier of IP communications systems, applications and services to mobile and fixed operators, announced a partnership with Sonus, a specialist in secure and intelligent cloud communications, to bring a fully virtualized, standard mobile core network solution to market.

The service provides mobile operators with a path to commercial rollout of WiFi Calling services, also known as voice over WiFi (VoWiFi).

MobiFone, one of the largest mobile network operators in Vietnam, recently launched its WiFi Calling service using the combined solution from Taqua and Sonus.

Under the terms of the partnership agreement, Taqua is integrating and reselling Sonus' Session Border Control (SBC) portfolio with Taqua's Virtual Mobile Core (VMC) to deliver advanced communications services to mobile network operators, including VoWiFi and Voice over Long Term Evolution (VoLTE).

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"Sonus' virtualized SBC is a very high-quality, proven solution that fits nicely with Taqua's Virtual Mobile Core. Together, we have a complete virtualized solution for VoWiFi and VoLTE," Frederick Reynolds, vice president of marketing at Taqua, told eWEEK. "This provides mobile operators with the fastest path to commercialization and launch of VoWiFi service."

The VMC is a virtualized IMS core network that enables rapid delivery of next-generation voice and messaging services, including VoWiFi and VoLTE.

Reynolds explained that 10 to 20 percent of all subscribers have poor or no coverage while at home or work, and that VoWiFi solves the indoor coverage problem, and the result is reduced churn.

"The alternative solution is the deployment of a small cell, or femtocell, which at a minimum will cost the subscriber or operator more than $250 on the low end," he noted. "Most subscribers already use their WiFi for data offload. VoWiFi essentially extends this behavior to include telephony and messaging services over WiFi."

This virtualized core network solution enables mobile operators to deploy a seamless WiFi Calling experience that uses the phone's native dialer, contacts, call history and voice mail, and subscribers do not notice the difference between calls made over WiFi or cellular.

In addition, the solution supports smartphones with built-in native VoWiFi capability, such as the iPhone, as well as smartphones that use Taqua's downloadable Mobile Client software.

"In 2014, Sprint and T-Mobile were the first two operators utilizing VoWiFi," Reynolds said. "As we close out 2015, 15 operators spanning 10 different countries have deployed VoWiFi including every major carrier in the U.S. and England. This trend will continue to accelerate in 2016 and through the end of the decade."

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